SEASON 2020-21 Margazhi and Andal Global outreach of Tiruppavai Vijayaraghavan

Among the months I am Two new series in music and dance Margaseersham (Margazhi)”, announced featuring the Tiruppavai of the “Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita. But day stood for their novel concept, Andal appears to have appropriated content and execution. The sincerity, the month as hers, as the whole scene spirit of devotion and working was agog with Tiruppavai. together as a group raised them to the level of a yagna. As advocated Andal came in myriad forms in music, by Andal herself in the line Koodi dance and discourse in solo and group irunthu kulirnthel ore Empavai presentations. YouTube buzzed with Kalyanapuram Aravamudachariar (We shall all experience Krishna song and dance too numerous to keep together), the two series brought track of. There was even a choral made for a rich experience which together people who contributed in singing by film and TV stars like offered plenty of food for thought. Suhasini Maniratnam, Anu Hasan, The meaningful and emotion various capacities to make a holistic and others with abhinaya by packed rendering of the song at the presentation that was rasanubhava . commencement by the speaker’s at its best. nephew Kalyanapuram Aravind, who A new venture by the musicians Paramacharya’s vision of spreading is making a mark himself in the world Andal’s Tiruppavai through the Akkarai Sisters (Subhalakshmi of Carnatic music, set the tone for the and Sornalatha) with Kunnakudi length and breadth of the country talk that followed. has become a reality through the Balamuralikrishna, was a unique virtual platform necessitated by the Dancers of yore sought out one. Commissioned by the South pandemic. pravachanakartas to expand their Indian Music Academy of Los knowledge base, to draw upon when Angeles, the trio had an engaging An hour-long discourse on they wove their sancharis. Abhinaya format with a prelude on the violin the Tiruppavai of the day by today often stops with the padartha by one of the sisters, followed by Kalyanapuram Aravamudachariar (word for word meaning) and stanzas from Divya Prabandham (as part of Yours Truly Margazhi vakyartha (meaning of the sentence) rendered as viruttam and rounded festival) went into the deeper and wider and rarely proceeds beyond. If they off with the Tiruppavai of the day. significance of each word and phrase. attended such discourses it would Allusions to parallels from pasurams, open their eyes to and other texts, puranas, ithihasas the treasures that are The trio rendering Vanga and the Vaishnavite philosophy, available to them.

Subhalakshmi, Kunnakudi Balamuralikrishna and Sornalatha

33 l SRUTI February 2021